Georgetown, TX Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)

30 of the Georgetown Code of Ordinances governs the MS4 and the stormwater facilities that drain into it. Under Sec. 090, operators of construction projects must build stormwater management systems that meet Chapter 11 of the Unified Development Code, the City's Construction Specifications and Standards, and the Drainage Criteria Manual. Once construction ends, ongoing upkeep shifts to whoever controls the property: commercial and multi-family owners must maintain their detention ponds and best management practices in good working order, obtain a yearly inspection from a qualified inspector, keep the report on file at the property, and promptly fix any deficiencies the inspection finds.

Before a Certificate of Occupancy or Completion issues, the owner must record an access easement letting City staff or its contractor periodically check the facility. Where two properties share one facility, the owners must execute joint-use agreements the City requires. For single- and two-family residential subdivisions, the City takes over maintenance of accepted facilities, including removing silt, litter and debris from catch basins, inlets and drainage pipes, while the property owner stays on the hook for mowing, litter removal and landscape upkeep inside open channels and detention areas.

If a facility becomes a danger to public health or safety, the City must give the responsible party written notice, and that party gets seven to fourteen days to bring it back into compliance before the City can do the work itself and bill the owner under Sec. 190. The General Manager of Utilities administers the chapter and can inspect any site discharging to the MS4, including entering under a search warrant if access is refused.